¹ Therfor whanne Festus cam in to the prouynce, aftir the thridde dai he wente vp to Jerusalem fro Cesarie.

² And the princis of prestis, and the worthieste of the Jewis wenten to hym ayens Poul, and preieden hym,

³ and axiden grace ayens hym, that he schulde comaunde hym to be led to Jerusalem; and thei settiden aspies to sle hym in the weie.

⁴ But Festus answerde, that Poul schulde be kept in Cesarie; sotheli that he hym silf schulde procede more auisili. Therfor he seide, Thei that in you ben myyti,

⁵ come doun togidere; and if ony crime is in the man, accuse thei hym.

⁶ And he dwellede among hem no more than eiyte ether ten daies, and cam doun to Cesarie; and the tother dai he sat for domesman, and comaundide Poul to be brouyt.

⁷ And whanne he was brouyt forth, Jewis stoden aboute hym, whiche camen doun fro Jerusalem, puttynge ayens hym many and greuouse causis, whiche thei miyten not preue.

⁸ For Poul yeldide resoun in alle thingis, That nether ayens the lawe of Jewis, nether ayens the temple, nether ayens the emperoure, Y synnede ony thing.

⁹ But Festus wolde do grace to the Jewis, and answeride to Poul, and seide, Wolt thou gon vp to Jerusalem, and there be demyd of these thingis bifore me?

¹⁰ And Poul seide, At the domplace of the emperour Y stonde, where it bihoueth me to be demed. Y haue not noied the Jewis, as thou knowist wel.

¹¹ For if Y haue noyed, ether don ony thing worthi deth, Y forsake not to die; but if no thing of tho is, that thei accusen me, no man may yyue me to hem. Y appele to the emperour.

¹² Thanne Festus spak with the counsel, and answerde, To the emperoure thou hast appelid, to the emperoure thou schalt go.

¹³ And whanne summe daies weren passid, Agrippa kyng, and Beronyce camen doun to Cesarie, to welcome Festus.

¹⁴ And whanne thei dwelliden there many daies, Festus schewide to the king of Poul, and seide, A man is left boundun of Felix,

¹⁵ of which, whanne Y was at Jerusalem, princis of preestis and the eldre men of Jewis camen to me, and axiden dampnacioun ayens hym.

¹⁶ To whiche Y answeride, That it is not custom to Romayns, to dampne ony man, bifore that he that is accusid haue hise accuseris present, and take place of defending, to putte awei the crymes, that ben putte ayens hym.

¹⁷ Therfor whanne thei camen togidere hidir, withouten ony delaye, in the dai suynge Y sat for domesman, and comaundide the man to be brouyt.

¹⁸ And whanne hise accuseris stoden, thei seiden no cause, of whiche thingis Y hadde suspicioun of yuel.

¹⁹ But thei hadden ayens hym summe questiouns of her veyn worschiping, and of oon Jhesu deed, whom Poul affermyde to lyue.

²⁰ And Y doutide of siche maner questioun, and seide, Whether he wolde go to Jerusalem, and ther be demyd of these thingis?

²¹ But for Poul appelide, that he schulde be kept to the knowing of the emperoure, Y comaundide him to be kept, til Y sende hym to the emperoure.

²² And Agrippa seide to Festus, Y my silf wolde here the man. And he seide, To morew thou schalt here hym.

²³ And on the tother day, whanne Agrippa and Beronyce camen with greet desire, and entriden in to the auditorie, with tribunes and the principal men of the citee, whanne Festus bad, Poul was brouyt.

²⁴ And Festus seide, King Agrippa, and alle men that ben with vs, ye seen this man, of which al the multitude of Jewis preyede me at Jerusalem, and axide, and criede, that he schulde lyue no lenger.

²⁵ But Y foond, that he hadde don no thing worthi of deth; and Y deme to sende hym to the emperoure, for he appelide this thing.

²⁶ Of which man Y haue not certeyne, what thing Y schal write to the lord. For which thing Y brouyte hym to you, and moost to thee, thou king Agrippa, that whanne axing is maad, Y haue what Y schal write.

²⁷ For it is seyn to me with out resoun, to sende a boundun man, and not to signifie the cause of hym.